5 Women’s Volleyball Players to Watch

May 17, 2019 May 18, 2019

In preparation for the 2019 College Volleyball Season, there are certain college players that you should be keeping your eye on. Thanks to hard work, determination, and a little help from being equipped with the right shoes and clothing, these 5 up and coming women led with some of the highest marks in the 2018 season. The standout women’s volleyball players are:

Tess Reid

Setter

2019 Senior

Loyola Marymount University

If you are looking for the best setter on the court this season, then Tess Reid may be the one you want to keep your eyes on. Coming off of the 2018 season, Reid more than doubled her previous record of 555 assists (2017) with 1,344 assists this season. That’s more than twice the number from 2017!

She also earned 13 double-doubles. The most noted one was the 42 assists and 14 digs against American University.

In a recent interview with End2End, Reid talks about her future. She says, “there are still goals that I’ve set for myself and the team” which means her senior year should be the best yet for her performance.

Reid was also named as an AVCA Volleyball All-American Honorable Mention. That title makes her the 10th LMU Lion to be named to the All American Team.

Taylor Bannister

Right Side Hitter

2019 Junior

Louisiana State University

In her 2018 sophomore season, Taylor Bannister earned a double-double with 19 kills and 15 digs against Georgia, Bannister is an unstoppable force on the court.

She averaged 4.04 kills per set and totalled 10-plus kills in 25 matches. Not only that but she also had an impressive 20-plus kills in six matches.

Furthermore, Taylor Bannister was named the Highest Scorer of the Tiger Classic Tournament with 56 kills in total. Bannister received the 2018 AVCA All-South Region and All-SEC honors with a spot on the 18-member All-SEC Team.

As 2018 LSWA All-Louisiana Player of the Year, Bannister is set to continue growing as a stronger right side hitter. That’ll give LSU a shot at the NCAA bracket this year. The last time LSU made it into the NCAA Championships was 2013.

Naya Gros

Middle Hitter

2019 Sophomore

Michigan State

As a freshman, Naya Gros is already setting records. Her first one? A freshman record at MSU for her hitting percentage of .331 and averaged 2.08 kills per game. She played in all 33 matches and only missed out on one of the 121 sets MSU played this past season.

“She doesn’t get rattled easily,” a teammate expressed in a school published article about Gros. That steadfast nature will hopefully help her build onto her already impressive freshman resume for MSU. Awesomeness for women’s volleyball players, yes!

Plus, Gros has been named in the 2018 Tennessee Classic All-Tournament Team, the 2018 Carolina Classic MVP, 2018 Fairfield Invitational All-Tournament Team and the 2018 Spartan Invitational All-Tournament Team. Wow!

Women’s Volleyball Players: Emily Stroup

Hitter

2019 Senior

Ole Miss

In her junior year 2018, Emily Stroup ranked second in the country in kills. The number was 584 for the season, which includes her single match kill record. She broke that record three times with 30 vs LSU (10/7), 31 vs Tennessee (11/2) and 32 vs LSU (11/7).

Also, Stroup is the only player in the SEC to record at least 20 kills and 20 digs in a match. Stroup has been named to the Iowa State Invitational, Rebel Invitational, and Georgia State Invitational All-Tournament Teams.

As well, of the women’s volleyball players, Stroup earned the noted MVP Honor at the Rebel and Georgia State Tournaments. This all makes you want to start playing the sport, right?! Talk about sports motivation.

Cali Thompson

Setter

2019 Senior

University of Portland Transfer to UCLA for 2019

In her final year at Portland, Cali Thompson had 1,326 assists. All that and she never missed a set in her three-year career with the Pilots. She has also been named twice for the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team.

In her redshirt freshman year, Thompson played beach volleyball for Portland. She and teammate Tani Stephens earned the All WCC Beach Freshman Team Honors for volleyball.

For her final year of eligibility, Thompson will play for Coach Michael Sealy at UCLA.

Go Ladies, Go!

These five women’s volleyball players have earned the top honors and have the stats to show that they are each a force to be reckoned with. The 2019 College Volleyball season should be an exciting one! After all, these players take to the court to try and break some more records.

About Today’s Writer

Tim Frechette is the Founder and Editor of AthleticLift.com. An avid sports enthusiast and player, Tim brings his knowledge and expertise to his website, sharing tips and tricks for improving in a wide variety of sports.